Pride
by V1ndicat0r
Summary: With his son now dead, Wolverine pays a visit to X-23, who has just now become his only living blood relative. (Set after the events of Uncanny X-Force 34)


It had been nearly a week since Logan and X-Force had finished their last mission in Genosha. The Brotherhood was dead but it had come with a price. Nightcrawler (the Age of Apocalypse Nightcrawler) had betrayed them and escaped with his mother Mystique. Sabretooth had escaped, and Logan's son, Daken, was dead, by his own hand. Logan hadn't wanted it, but he had no choice, he drowned and killed his son. To make it worse Creed had planned it all, all so he could make Logan hurt more. After all was said and done, Logan called it quits on X-Force and everyone went their separate ways. Psylocke had gone back to Utopia, Fantomex was buried, and Deadpool went to do whatever it was he did. EVA had stayed at the school in Westchester having nowhere else to go. And still through it all, Logan still felt guilt at having to murder his own son. Eventually Logan got tired of moping around in his room and decided to take a little trip. Leaving a note for Kitty and Hank saying he'd back whenever he felt like it. And with that Logan went to find EVA. He found her in the lab they had set up for her. EVA cocked her head to the hairy mutant, "Do you need something Logan?" she asked. "Yeah," he replied, "I need ya to fly me to Los Angeles."

EVA arrived at the Avengers Compound. "Wait here," he said. Logan walked through the hallways, he eventually found Hank Pym/Giant Man. "Logan the next flag football game with the Jean Grey School isn't till next month," he said, "But that's not why you're here is it?" "No Pym it ain't," Logan said back gruffly. The two superheroes just stood there. "Come on Pym you know there's only one other reason I'd ever bother coming here." Pym knew what Logan was talking about. "Wait outside, I'll send her." he said.

Logan waited out by EVA for about six minutes and then he was joined by his teenage clone daughter Laura/X-23. "Giant Man said you wanted see me," she said. "Yeah," he said, "There's some stuff I need to talk to you about, it's all kinda heavy, but there's no one else I can talk to about this Laura." Laura could already sense something was wrong with Logan, he never came to her with his problems. Usually it was the other way around, if he listened. But if he had come all this way, she at least owed him the courtesy to hear him out. "I will listen to what you have say Logan," she said. Logan put a hand on her shoulder, "Thanks darlin'," he said grateful.

Logan and Laura had gone to the Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco, the place where Logan had kicked Laura off the previous X-Force. "So what was it you wanted to discuss?" she asked him. "Alright, you know Cyke had me break up up X-Force remember," he replied. "Yes" "Well me and Worthington put up a new one, added Deadpool, Fantomex, and Betsy, we were picking up where the last one left off, mission was still the same." he explained. "Seek out threats to mutants and kill them before they had a chance to act." Laura stated. "Yeah," he said. There was silence between them for a bit as Logan noticed something. "I'm surprised you're not mad." "I think you would tell me that at your age you are, stuck in your ways." Laura replied flatly. "Yeah, you're right about that," he said. "There is more to this story." she said "Right," said Logan, "On our last mission Daken put together a new Brotherhood with Creed and Mystique. One thing led to another, and it ended with me killing him. After it was over, I broke up X-Force and this whole thing really got me thinking, about how I was never there for you when you needed me." Laura was stunned at what she was hearing. "It might be too late now, but I'm sorry Laura." "Logan," she asked, "Are you worried that I may be like Daken, is that why you are telling me this?" "No," he said, "I ain't worried about that. It's just... you see for the longest time I didn't think any good could come from me. Daken only proved that more. But I've never been happier to be wrong now." Logan put his arm around Laura, rested her head against him, and then looked the girl in the eyes. "I love you Laura, I'm sorry I never said it sooner."

Laura could feel that Logan was holding back tears. His son was dead, and right now she was the most important thing in his life. Right now she mattered more to him than anyone else did. Even though Logan was the furthest thing from a good father possible, he was still hers, he still cared, and she could never bring herself to resent him a little. She understood why Logan had tried to patch things up with Daken, because even though it was clear he couldn't be saved, part of Logan still loved him, because he was his son. Laura's mother had risked her life to save her and give her a better life because she loved her. Now she was all Logan had, and he was all Laura had. She gripped her father's hand and said, "I love you to."

Right before Logan left to return to Weschester he said one more thing to Laura. "Want you to know, I'll always be proud of you, cause I know you'll keep making the right choices." "Thank you Logan," she replied. And with that the father-daughter pair shared a goodbye hug and Logan left in EVA back to Westchester. "Stupid old man," he thought to himself, "You already had what you wanted, it was right in front of you. At least this time you realized before it was gone for good."


End file.
